Old Ghosts
by Sophia Pendragon
Summary: Their house is blue. TARDIS blue. The Eleventh Doctor finds a way to go back to Pete's World and finds two familiar faces. Set after The Angels Take Manhattan.


**A/N:** I'm posting an updated and newly edited version of this story! I hope everyone still likes it. =] As before, this is my first Doctor Who story so I apologize for any odd OOC there may be. Reviews are certainly welcome!

_**I don't own Doctor Who!**_

* * *

_"Better a broken heart than no heart at all."_

It's only been a week since the Ponds were ripped away from him and sent back to a time he can't reach. The memories of Amy's last words still bring the unfriendly burn of tears to his eyes. Raggedy man, goodbye. They always mean forever, his companions, but they never stay forever. Rule one, 'The Doctor lies' but it should be, 'Everyone leaves.' Even River would eventually leave him for good and her time was coming to a quick end because he knew something even she didn't. The first and last time he would ever see her was fast approaching.

He sighs and walks around the console, staring unseeingly at the controls. He looks up and places a hand on the time rotor. "Just you and me now. Same old life."

He cringes and looks down, the answer to his statement playing through his head, a stabbing pain follows the reality of those words.

"On your own?"

The TARDIS hums apologetically at him, she knows who his thoughts are on now. They always end with her, no matter how hard he tries. He thought it would be easier after regeneration - easier to forget, to move on - and even though the memories aren't as vivid now, they are still there. He doesn't forget any of them, even if he'd sometimes like to. There have been so many wonderful companions, friends, over his long life. All of them have been special, all of them will be remembered. But Rose was different. He has River now, and he does love her, but she will always be the one that made him better. The one that found him in his darkest hour and brought him back to life, made the adventure worthwhile again.

He never told Amy or Rory about her, never told them about the amazing pink and yellow human that risked her life jumping through realities to try and get back to him. To save him. He hasn't told River, though she probably knows. She probably knew that day in the library his hearts were with another. It was the most obvious thing in the world for so long.

What would they have said if he told them about her? What would he even have been able to say? Could he have managed to recount their story? He knew there was no way of doing her justice in a retelling though, she was too vibrant to be reduced to words spoken out of anguished memory.

The question, "One last day with your beloved…?" He knew the answer now. He would tell her instead of wasting time. She knew, that was very true, but he would go back to that day - orbiting around a supernova - and he would say it. He wouldn't let fear keep him from it if he had the chance. Maybe it would have ended differently and she would have been able to stay. He could have found a way back, could have fought harder to reach her instead of letting her down.

He leans heavily on the controls, too far gone in thoughts to be saved now. Is she happy? Is she still working with Torchwood? What about her family? He smiles ruefully thinking of Jackie and he honestly hopes she hasn't changed. But then… What about him? Was she still with him? If he were to ever see her again, would he be there?

_Jealousy?_

Tearing his eyes away from the controls, he glares up at the ceiling of the TARDIS. "No. Not jealous," he shakes his head. "I don't have time for jealous. Not that it matters now."

_Jealous._

He frowns. Maybe he is jealous. The TARDIS knows him, knows what happened in the days after Canary Wharf, the days leading up to his last contact with her before the reality bomb. He was useless. He sat unmoving for hours, just staring into her room and trying not to let the image of her smile leave him. Brooding. It was terrible, but he couldn't stop. All he could think about was getting her back. He ran equation after equation through his head, desperately looking for a way to reach across parallel worlds to bring her home - home to him.

The first day, he sat in the corridor outside of her door, not daring to enter the room and be overwhelmed by the scent he knew still lingered there. Her.

The second day, he paced. He went through every hall on the TARDIS, back and forth, not even able to stop and eat. There had to be a way to reach her. Nothing was impossible. The only time he would stop pacing was to rush to the controls and try to come up with the way to get her back.

The third day, he stopped outside her door. It was open, the way she left it when they landed at her mother's. He leaned against the doorframe and stared into her room. It was messy, but still seemed organized. He came back four times that day until he had the courage to go in. Immediately, he was glad he did. Mourning from across the hall was miserable; at least in here he could truly see all that he loved about her. There was a bookshelf in the corner he'd never known she had. The TARDIS must have put it there for her to fill with books from the places they'd gone, trinkets to remember different worlds. He smiled when his eyes landed on several books written in languages that, at nineteen, she would have never imagined existed. This was better. Then he saw the photographs. He frowned as he picked up one that showed the two of them smiling wider than should be possible, looking so happy. They were both wearing sunglasses and helmets, and he couldn't remember even taking this picture, let alone a time she would have been able to print and frame it. He took it to his room anyway.

The fourth day, he found her. The cracks between the worlds were closing fast and he knew there was only going to be one chance at this. When he saw her, he felt joy and sorrow at once and instantly wondered if this was even a good idea. What good would it do to see each other now? When there's no hope that they'll ever be in each other's arms again. And then she spoke and he nearly lost control there. The minutes went by far too quick and she said those words he'd wanted to say from the moment he asked her to travel with him. But he didn't have time. "Quite right too…" She knew, she even laughed a little but he should have said them. He knows now, knows better than anyone that it does need saying. He hates that beach. Dårlig Ulv Stranden. There was nothing in any world that could make him go back there.

There were times, before he regenerated, that there was a connection between the meta-crisis and him. He would get these strange flashes that were clearly from the parallel universe where the meta-crisis and Rose lived. He would sometimes get quick glimpses of a huge room filled with alien technology and he would just feel frustrated or overwhelmed out of nowhere. Torchwood. Rose worked there in Pete's World and he must too. Once, he caught a glimpse of Jackie yelling at him and he couldn't help but laugh thinking about his metaphorical brother having to live all the time with that woman.

The most painful moments for the Doctor were the ones that were probably the best for the meta-crisis. Rose's face would just enter his mind sometimes and his hearts would fill with all the love this man that he was exactly like in every way except the one that seemed to matter most was feeling for her and it would hurt him to know someone else was able to love her freely. Even if it was a love they shared.

The last look into his meta-crisis's life he got was bittersweet. He had taken in all the radiation and was about to start his final trips in the TARDIS as his tenth regeneration when it hit him. He wasn't looking at her, but he knew she was there by the way his heartbeat rose. His head slowly turned and he looked into the face of Rose Tyler, her cheeks were red and there were tears rolling down them. She bit her lip and whispered, "I love you."

"I have to know…" He jumps back to life and begins running around the console, pushing buttons and pulling at anything in reach. The TARDIS hums a warning at him, "There is a way to do this, I know it!" She shakes and he isn't deterred. He won't be now. "You want to know if she's ok as much as I do." He pauses and stares up at the rotor. She knows he's right; he's always right when it comes to this. He was right to find the crack before and he's right to find another. There has to be another.

"Aha!" he grabs tight to the controls. "Geronimo!"

The landing is hard and almost immediately, the console room fills with smoke. He opens the door, coughing heavily, and shouts, "Exhaust fans on!" He shuts the door and leans against it, staring up at the zeppelin-filled sky. Zeppelin-filled? His eyes widen and he stands up straight. "No…" He walks a few paces away from the TARDIS and smiles. "Yes! Hah!"

He actually made it. He's never been happier to see those giant grey crafts in his life. He takes time to look around him. He's landed in a park, and this is definitely London and is definitely Pete's World. Now - how would he find them? He clasps his hands together and head off in a random direction, heading toward the outer side of the park. He passes a newsstand and stops short. Sitting there is a magazine with a familiar smiling man on the cover. He smiles wide as he reads the title of the story, 'Profile of the Vitex Millionaire.' She would at least be mentioned in there, being his daughter must make her important. He shakes his head, being Rose makes her important.

He makes his way back through the park and sits down at a bench. It's nice here, peaceful. He hopes that Rose has found this place, she would like it. He opens the magazine and flips through until he finds the article on Pete. He's rewarded instantly for buying this as the first picture shows Pete with his arm around the shoulders of a blonde girl with bright brown eyes. Rose. She still looks the same, thankfully. She has that same wonderful smile and he can feel her vibrant energy even through the glossed pages. His eyes slide to the caption, 'Pete Tyler and his daughter Rose Tyler-Smith.' Tyler-Smith…

Of course they've gotten married. He left them here to give each other a forever they could only dream about on the TARDIS. He should feel happy but, right now, he can't really tell if his smile is sad or not.

Suddenly, the article doesn't matter. He can read it later if he wants. Right now, he just wants to see more photos of Rose. He turns the page and finds several that feature his pink and yellow human. The first shows her with her arms wrapped around her mother and a boy who is clearly her brother. Jackie's voice enters his mind, 'He's called Tony.' He looks about eight, but how long ago was this taken? He moves on to one of Rose, Jackie and Pete all looking extremely happy to be together. They're all dressed nice, clearly at a formal event. The next photo is of Rose and him. His stomach twists a bit as he looks into the face of his last regeneration. They're smiling widely at each other, so clearly in love that he finds it actually hurts.

"They always publish such rubbish pictures…" He freezes. That voice, he never thought he would actually hear it again. He turns his head and comes face-to-face with the girl he came here to find. She's smiling the smile that is so Rose, all teeth with her tongue tucked between and her eyes brighter than should be possible.

He shakes his head and clears his throat. "No. These are…" Beautiful, amazing, heartbreaking… "They're lovely. Real."

She shakes her head, eyes bright and it's almost like he's looking at her across the console of the TARDIS. "Didn't mean to interrupt though. I don't buy those, but can't help curiosity sometimes." She laughs a little and his smile widens at the sound. "Mind if I sit down?"

"Oh. No. Not at all." He moves over the make more room for her, not wanting to scare her by sitting too close.

She sighs softly as she sits down and looks out across the park. They're really at the perfect place to see everything. He hadn't noticed the bench was on a small hill that overlooks the surrounding greenery. "I love this park. Found it not long after I got here." She shakes her head and whispers, "Such a long time ago."

He uses the opportunity to look at her again. "You're not from here?"

She looks back at him, into his eyes. "Bit complicated."

He smiles and leans forward a bit, an action that feels so familiar but lost at the same time. "The best stories are."

She's quiet for a moment and considers him, clearly unsure if she wants to share this with a supposed stranger. Her lips twitch into a small smile as she begins, "When I was nineteen, I met this man in a shop I worked in," her smile widens. "He was completely mad, but I just - trusted him. Right off. You know how sometimes you can just tell, that's what this was. He saved my life. A lot of times really." He tries to not show her how the story makes him sad as she continues, "We traveled together. Went to the most amazing places. But one day, I got lost… I ended up here, on my own."

"I'm sure he tried to find you." The words are out of his mouth before he can even think, but she doesn't seem phased by it.

"Maybe. I found him, in the end. Saved the universe." Her eyes are sad as she says, "But it couldn't last. I should have known as much. He brought me back here, to have a normal life…" She twists the simple, silver wedding band she wears.

"Sounds like he was more stupid than mad. Leaving you here."

He can't look back at her but he knows she's smiling a little more, "I thought so, for a long time. I was so angry with him. But then, one day, I stopped. I realized being mad at him wouldn't help me and he wouldn't have wanted me to go through life like that." She pauses, "I got on with life. Let myself fall in love with the man I was meant to be with." She's quiet for a few minutes and when he looks at her, she's staring at him, a small smirk on her lips. She whispers, "I knew you'd come back, Doctor."

His eyes widen as he whispers, "How did you know?"

She shakes her head, grinning. "I'd know you anywhere. Even with a bowtie."

He shrugs. "New-new-new Doctor."

She nods. "New-new-new Doctor." They sit in silence for a few minutes, and he's happy to find it's still a comfortable one. He was always able to enjoy the quiet with Rose, it never felt like a lull. She's twisting her wedding band when she says, "Are you on your own?"

"Now. Another story to tell," he nods toward the ring she's fiddling with. "You're not I see."

She smiles, her perfect Rose smile. "We're happy, Doctor. It wasn't always easy, but we're so good," she looks at him. "He's so like you, but his own person that can make me happy no matter what." She bites her lip. "Drives me mad some days, but I'm glad of how everything happened."

He shakes his head. "When did I not drive you mad?"

They talk for a long time, catching the other up with their lives. He tells her about the Ponds and she tells him all about working with Torchwood and her new life with the Doctor John, as the Doctor refers to him. Not jealous. They lived with her mum and dad for a little while before getting their own flat in the city. She's laughing as she says, "He couldn't take it with her anymore." The Doctor just smiles, knowing where his clone was coming from. Surprisingly, they didn't wait very long to get married. The Doctor John proposed to her just a year after they were dropped off here and they didn't waste time before having their simple ceremony at the Tyler mansion. She takes out her phone at one point and shows him a picture of the two of them standing in front of their new house. It's blue, TARDIS blue, and he can't help but smile.

It's better than he thought it would be, seeing her, talking with her. It's almost like they haven't been apart all this time. She forgives him for leaving her here, if he hadn't done she wouldn't have been able to fall in love and have forever. It's nearing sunset before they're interrupted.

"Rose?"

She turns around and smiles wide. A happy smile he's never seen before. She gets up and his eyes land on a tall, skinny man with forever-messy hair wearing jeans and a black suit jacket. His eyes flit down and he sees that he still has the trainers. It's strange to see him in person. Before it was like looking in a mirror, but now it's just more surreal to see the expressions he used to make. They're both a little older, but still carry that youthful glow that comes with the life of an adventurer.

She kisses him lovingly and takes something from his arms, no she takes someone from his arms. They've had a baby too, a little girl with her father's messy brown hair and her mother's bright eyes. She smiles wide and leans her head against Rose's shoulder. She must be just a little over a year old now.

Rose is busy fussing with her daughter's hair when the Doctors lock eyes. His clone nods in recognition, he would have been able to tell when he entered this universe. Maybe it was him that told Rose he was here? He doesn't seem mad or upset that his wife has spent the better part of the day sitting in the park with another man. It must come with the twisting timeline they all share.

The Doctor John smiles at his daughter and whispers something to Rose who nods. She turns back to the Doctor and motions for him to join them. He doesn't have to fake a smile as he approaches the tiny family, this is worth the pain losing her twice caused him.

"This is Kate." The little girl smiles at him and it's one of those perfect things. "Catherine Donna Tyler-Smith."

He smiles. "That's a wonderful name. She quite likes it too." Rose smiles at him. "How old is she?"

"Just turned one last month." Rose sighs, "She's going too fast."

Kate reaches out to him and, after silently making sure it's ok, he takes her into his arms. A voice in his head tells him this is the daughter he never got the chance to have, but he knows their daughter would have been different. He can tell she has an amazing spirit as she stares up at him. At once like the woman she's named for and her incredible mother. Her eyes are bright and knowing, just like Rose's always were. "Hello, Kate. I'm the Doctor." She tilts her head. "I know that's daddy, but it's me too."

Rose shakes her head. "I still think it's weird that you can speak baby and he's been doing that since she was born."

The Doctor John laughs, "Yeah, but it's great when she corrects those shows Jackie turns on telly."

Both the Doctors look at each other again and share a knowing smile. As the Doctor had hoped, Jackie hadn't changed at all. "Glad your mum's not here. I didn't fancy a slap." He smiles at Kate as she pulls at his bowtie. "I'll have you know, Kate, bowties are cool." She giggles. "Yes they are."

Rose laughs gently and retrieves her daughter from the Doctor's arms. "How long have you got?"

He frowns. "I shouldn't stay much longer. It was good to see you." He looks at the Doctor John, standing with his hands in his pockets and a small smile on his lips. He nods. "Both of you."

Rose bites her lip and doesn't hesitate to hug him. He closes his eyes and wraps his arms around her for what will be the last time, he won't be able to come back. She whispers, "Find someone. Don't be on your own again, Doctor."

He smiles at her as she moves away and nods, unable to find his voice suddenly. "Best get on."

They don't go to the TARDIS with him, and it's probably for the best. He turns back once before he leaves the park and smiles as he sees the Doctor smiling down at Rose and his daughter, the kind of happy he knows comes with the domestics of a family, but it suits them.

The TARDIS hums in greeting as he steps through the door. He tosses the magazine on the seat, then goes immediately to the controls and sets to leave Pete's World for the last time. Once they take off he smiles and runs his hand along the console. "They've had a happy life. A good story to tell."


End file.
